双语
导读:独在异乡为异客，每逢佳节倍思亲，又到重阳，客在何方？
The ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese lunar calendar is a traditional Chinese festival — the Double Ninth Festival, or Chongyang Festival. In Chinese culture, nine has long been regarded as the number of yang, making the day of the festival one of two yang numbers, while "chong" in Chinese means double - thus creating the name of the festival, Chongyang.
农历九月初九是中国的传统节日重阳节，又称重九节。在中国文化中，“九”定为阳数，九月九日，两九相重，故曰“重阳”；因日与月皆逢九，故又称为“重九”。
A traditional poem written by Wang Wei during the Tang Dynasty is often quoted in relation to the holiday, which reads,
唐代著名诗人王维曾写过一首关于重阳节的脍炙人口的诗：
“As a lonely stranger in a foreign land,
“独在异乡为异客，
I pine at every holiday - my homesickness increases.
每逢佳节倍思亲。
Far away, I know my brothers have reached the mountain peak;
遥知兄弟登高处，
They are wearing dogwood, but one is not present.”
遍插茱萸少一人。”
Traditional customs of the festival include reaching a mountain peak and wearing dogwood just as in the poem, though many young people don’t even know what dogwood looks like.
传统上每到这一天，人们都会像诗中一样爬上山顶，插着茱萸来纪念这一节日，但是说实话现在好多年轻人已经不知道茱萸是什么样子了。
What does the Double Ninth Festival mean today? Why do people climb mountains and wear dogwood on this special day？Why is the festival celebrated as "Senior Citizens Day" now? Let’s explain, one at a time.
那么现在的重阳节又有什么新的含义呢？为什么人们在这个特殊的日子里去爬山、戴茱萸呢？为什么这个节日被称为“敬老节”呢？让我们为你一一解答。
Climbing a mountain and wearing dogwood: dodging disease and calamity
爬山、戴茱萸：躲避疾病和灾难
Chinese traditional festivals are often associated with awareness of natural timing. In September of the lunar calendar the sun recedes, the climate changes from warm to cold and trees and plants become withered. People have fondness and reverence for such seasonal changes.
中国传统节日一般是根据大自然的时间规律制定。每到阴历的九月，太阳与地球距离变远，气候从暖到冷，树木和植物都枯萎。人们对这种季节性的变化充满着敬畏之心。
On this day, two yang numbers are believed by the ancient people to come together and turn into their opposite, yin. The qi of the earth, which is regarded as evil, rises as the qi of heaven drops. Thus, the ancients climbed high to avoid evil spirits.
古人把两个“九”放到一起是为了与“阴”相对，古人们认为阴是大地之气，代表着邪恶。在这一天，太阳变远，人们认为是地阴之气在上升，因此古人爬往高处，以避开恶灵。
As for dogwood, it is a type of Chinese medicine used by ancient people to prevent disease. People would wear a small bag filled with dogwood leaves and fruits to ward off evil.
茱萸是古代人们用来预防疾病的一种中药。人们会戴一个小袋子，里面装满了茱萸叶和水果，来抵御病魔入侵。
Respect for the aged in modern China: cultural significance has not broken with tradition
在现代这一天意味着“尊敬老年人”，这一传统也一直在延续下去。
The pronunciation of "9" is "jiu", the same as Chinese "久", which means "long" in English. "9" is also the biggest base number in mathematics. Thus, the festival has two "9s", and represents long life.
“9”的发音是“Jiu”，与中国的“久”相同，在英语中是永远的意思，同时“9”也是数学中最大的基数。因此，这个节日有两个“9”，代表着长寿。
In 1989, the double ninth day in the Chinese lunar calendar was designated the day of the elderly.
1989年，中国农历的重阳节被指定为老人节。
